Method of and container for packing fruit and the like



Sept- 2, 1 J. A. MCCORMICK METHOD OF AND CONTAINER FOR PACKING FRUIT AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 22, 1944 INVENTOR;

J. A. MCCORMICK Sept. 2, 1947.

METHOD OF AND CONTAIN ER FOR PACKING FRUIT AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 22, 1944 a Sheets-Sheet 2 P 1947- J. A. MCCORMICK 2,426,783

METHOD OF AND CONTAINER FOR PACKING FRUIT AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 22; 1944 s Sheets-Sheet s nu I 1 Patented Sept. 2, 1947 METHOD OF AND CONTAINER FOR PACK- ING FRUIT AND THE LIKE James A. McCormick, Kalamazoo, Mich., assignor to Fruit and Produce Packing, Incorporated, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation Application January 22, 1944, Serial No. 519,315

This invention relates to the apparatus for and the method of packing fruits and the like.

For the past decade the so-called Hiatt system has been in general use. This system utilizes as packing accessories a facing plate and a form or shell. It also requires a container, a liner and a lid.

The present invention requires but two elements and accordingly requires less elements and similarly less operations.

The Hiatt system requires application of the form or shell to the facing plate and then the application of the liner to the inside of the shell.

' The form is initially face packed and filled. If

the liner is relatively non-rupturable and stout enough, the form may then be removed and an inverted container applied to the liner confined face plate supported fruit and then the container, fruit and plate is inverted. As primarily contemplated by the Hiatt system to avoid accidental rupture, etc. of the liner, the container usually is applied over the form, included liner and fruit.

The entire unit including the face plate is then inverted.

If the latter procedure be utilized, the form is pulled after the face plate is removed, and then coming the top layer of the packed container.

This liner may then be jigglecl to settle the pack. Following filling of the liner, the container, also capable of fabrication and shipment in the flat or knockdown condition, is then set up, inverted and telescoped upon the liner. The telescoped elements with the pack therein are then inverted and the unit is ready for shipment.

The number of elements and operations required by this invention obviously are much less than in either form of the Hiatt system as previously described. Comparative time tests demonstrate that the present invention permits the packing of about one-third more fruit in the same length of time.

Naturally liners and boxes are used which are of complementary size. Three standard bushel The liner and l 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-31) 2 boxes are now legally recognized and are the Michigan bushel having a volume in cubic inches equal to 16 x 12%; x 11, the Eastern bushel with a volume equal to 17 x 13 x 11 and the Northwest bushel having a volume equal to 18 x 11 x 10 Manufacture of the elements of the present invention require production of but three sizes of bushel boxes and the three corresponding lidded liners to completely satisfy bushel packing requirements.

much less (approximately one-third) for the boxes than for the baskets.

Baskets have the further disadvantage that their interiors are rough and also-absorb moisture and may include fungus. Likewise staples and splinters affect the fruit and fingers or gloves of the packers. The boxes of the present invention have none of these disadvantages,

Baskets require liners, collars and lids as well as tools to apply the lid and remove same for inspection and display purposes. This is dispensed with in the present invention and neither tape, string nor wire is required.

The box herein by reason of the rail near the top and the side wall aperturing insures proper ventilation between boxes, said rail also serves as a shock absorber or cushion.

Briefly summarized comparable operations are as follows:

Present invention Set up inside liner or box.

. Set up outside container.

. Face inside liner or box.

. Fill inside liner.

. Install outside container or main box.

. Turn complete box withincluded pack-which does not require a machine.

- Hiatt basket system 1. Remove basket from nested bundle of baskets.

(This frequently is quite difiicult.)

2. Face ring facer.

3. Install liner and shell.

3 4. Fill. 5. Remove shell only. 6. Install basket over filled liner.

7. Turn basket (which requires a. machine). 8. Remove facer form. I 9. Install cap and/or pad, etc. if used. 10. Lid and fasten wire loops, and slip handles over piece on lid, which requires a special tool.

like that cushions bumping, prevents pack bruis ing, etc. It also is of multiple interlocking type even though fabricated from a single blank.

The liner and box, each may be fabricated from double face corrugated board of the desired caliper and materials, as desired or required.

All of the foregoing is directed to the primary objectives and features of the present invention and others will be set forth more fully hereinafter..

Thefull nature of the invention will be understood from the-accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

In the drawings Fig. l is a developed plan lid blank.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same in position for packing.

Fig. 3 is a developed plan View Of the box blank.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the same looking into the box. 1

Fig. 5 is a top view of a packed box with a portion of the lid opened for content examination or display purposes. i

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic section through a packed liner and lid before settling the pack.

Fig. '7 is a similar view of same with box applied thereto and after pack settling and prior to unit inversion for storage and the like.

Having previously briefly describedthe method view of the liner and embodied in this invention, it appears appropriate to first describe the two elements used therein and their novel construction, it, of course, being understood that in the broadest sense it is notoriously old to form a liner from a single blank and similarly to form a box from a single blank. The latter blank has been of corrugated stock. The cylindrical former blank, so far as known, never has been of corrugated stock or of a solid paper stock of any greater strength and stiffness than light weight cardboard.

Reference will first be had to Figs. 1 and .2.

The blank includes two ends I0 and two sides [I all sequentially connected as shown and connectible into tubular relation as by corner tape l2, see Fig. 2. Other equivalent connections such as an end flap with staples may be employed, this being a well known equivalent in the box art for a butt joint tape connection. The resulting tubular liner can, of course, be collapsed for shipment. I

The sides ll may be apertured at l3 for ventilation purposes. Also the ends III are similarly apertured at M. Each side wall I I has formed therein an inclined slot l5, same being directed from the side edges towards each other and terminating slightly beyond the center of the side between the top and bottom edges thereof.

Integral with each end wall If! is a flap l6 and score hinge connected at IT. Each flap is of end wall length and has a. width half that of the side length so that when closed down the two adjacent edges I8 abut each other. Each flap It includes near edge l8 and approximately centrally, a ventilating and finger engageable aperture.

At each side edge of flap l6 and hingedly connected thereto by a score 19 is an car 20 of such shape and size that when exteriorly lapping the adjacent side and with the flap closed, said ear may seat in the slot l5, and the end 2| of such slot seated car 28 laps the interior of such slotted side wall. The lap is sufficient to provide considerable friction, and, of course, since the ear projects through the slot, the ear 20 frictionally engages opposite sides of said adjacent side wall for fiap retention in so-called closed position, see Fig. 2.

A combination liner and lid when erected or set up then can be face packed with its open end up.

When filled, the walls at the then upper open end may be grasped and the liner jiggled and jounced to settle the pack. When this is accomplished,

the box-in inverted positionis applied there-' cludes a bottom 25, two side walls 26 hinge score connected at 21 thereto and two end walls 28 hinge score connected at 29 to said bottom 25. I

A flap (additional end wall) 30 is hingedly connected at score 3| to each side edge of the side Walls.

Each end wall forming flap 30 is handhold apertured at 32' and the end wall 28 is similarly apertured at 33. Also hinge connected at 34 is the inturned fiap 35. The hinge connection 34 is a.

double score defined portion, the spacing being equa1 to the thicknesses of the two inturned flaps 30. As stated, all of the aforesaid is now conventional box structure.

Herein each side wall is apertured at 36 for ventilation and for the Same purpose apertures 31 are provided in the end walls 28 and register with the apertures 38 in the flaps 30, when the box is set up. The liner and box apertures register.

Herein also each flap 30 is notched at the free lower corner, as at 39, to prevent flap cocking when the box is erected. Also each flap 30 in its upper edge 40 is notched as at 41 for a purpose hereinafter to set forth. Similarly each side 26 immediately adjacent or at the fiap 30 connection thereto is slotted as at 42, the purpose thereof being set forth later.

Each side edge of each end flap 35 includes a laterally projecting portion 43 constituting a lock-' ing portion or tongue seatable in the slot 42 aforesaid for holding the several walls and flaps aforesaid in set up relation. Note when so erected, the

upper portion of the end walls includes a cushion or bumper structure as: it were.

Herein by the double score defined portion 44, there is hingedly connected to the: topedge of each side wall 26 an outside flap 45., Each sid edge thereof has hingedly connected thereto as at IS, a flap 4'! with a laterally extending tongue 48... Each flap is in length approximately half the width of the. end wall.

Upon box erection, the. two sides 26 are brought to parallel position (perpendicular to bottom 25) and then each flap 3|! is infolded into lapping engagement. When flaps 45 are turned down and flaps 41 are turned towards each other. the adjacent tongues 48 seat. in registering notches. Al in the top edges of flaps 30. These tongues then extend downwardly and preferably terminate 1m", mediately' above the upper surface in the resulting end wall hand hole.

When so positioned, the end walls: 29 are turned upwardl into. parallel position (and perpendicular to bottom 25'). Then portions 3 overlie the adjacent top edges of flap 3|! and notch sealed tongues 48. The inner end wall flaps 35 then lap the free ends. of the tongues and lateral p oj ctions 43 seat in slots 42 for retention of all parts of the box in erected position.

A box so constructed includes a multiply end additionally reeniorced at the top and. a. top cushioned side wall- When telescopically associated with the liner aforesaid, all box walls naturally are reent'orced. The result is a covered and lined box and one wherein the pack may be readily exposed for inspection and/or display purposes by lifting either portion [6 as shown in Fig. 5. It is not necessary to fully elevate ears 20 so the free ends thereof are positioned above the top edge f the box.

When it is desired to empty a. box, either end thereof may be opened and portion [6 with ears 20 form a pouring chute. Also, when both ends are opened partially, the structure in effect is a tapered hopper with a. restricted throat.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great. detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein as well as others which will readily suggest them selves to persons skilled in this art, all. are considered tc be within the broad scope of-the invention, reference being had to the appended The invention claimed is:

1. An open top container comprised of single blank providing: a bottom,

opposed outer end walls, railformingmeans at: the top of the side walls, end. lapping flaps there. on, laterally directed tongues on the flaps, end. forming flaps: at each. side edge of the side walls for foldin inwardly into lapping position and lapping the end wall, each. side. wall side: edge: supported. flap having a cut-out portion therein, the cut out. portionsregistering, when. the flaps are infolded and lapped, said tongues seating in the. registering cut-out portions and. folding thereover for locking purposes, and an. inner; end. wall flap on each outer end wall and fol'd'able inwardly and downwardly for container erection maintenance.

2'. A. container as'defined by claim 1 wherein.

each iniolded end wall inner flap is of? container width and. each. side. edge. thereof includes an. outwardlyprojecting. portion coplanar therewith for: adapted. locking associationwith the adjacent side wall.

3. A. container as: defined. by claim 1. wherein eachv infolded end. wall inner flap is of container width and each, sidev edge thereof includes an out-- wardly projecting portion. coplanar therewith for adaptedlocking; association with the adjacent side wall, the side wall, adjacent the end. forming flap connection. thereto, including a slot and. the last mentioned outwardly projecting portion being: of tongue. type and, seatabl'ein the last mentioned slot.

' JAMES A. MCCORMICK.

file of this patent:

Number Name Date 2,280,155 Luce Apr, 21, 1942' 40 2,067,753 Cooper et al. Jan. 12, 1 3 1,257,823 East Feb. 26, 1918 2,058,070 Elkin Oct, 20,. 1936. 2,296,664 Hall Sept. 22, 1942 r 2,333,116 Newsom Nov. 2, 1943 1,975,240 Verhoven Oct. 2,1934 2,276,820; Bonfiel'd Mar. 17,194: 1,962,492 Fallert June12, 193(- 2,365,182 Ferguson 19, 194d 2,171,309 Luce et al.. Aug, 29, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country pate 447,136 Great Britain my 13,1936. 54,842 Denmark June I, 1938 p osed side Walls and UNITED" STATES PATENTS 

